Monday, March 31, 2008

As we mentioned last week, Stereogum Presents' latest record is a cover of Bjork's Post. You can download it right now for free. With free tracks by Liars, Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals and a ton of other great bands, it's an undeniably great treat. We recommend you get it soon: once those downloads have dried up, you'll be relegated to a Internet-dependent streaming sad land.

Currently there's only one US show announced, but rumor has it that this is the beginning of a cross-country arena tour for the kings of brit-rock. As huge fans of Oasis, we'd already be trying to get into this show, and the announcement of Ryan Adams and The Cardinals as tour opener only further cements our desire to check it out. Details forthcoming with (hopefully) a Bay Area date in the works.... If you are inclined to head up to Seattle or Vancouver for the show, there's a pre-sale in the starting tomorrow at 10 AM here. Password is "OASISINET".

The other (and less media hyped, recently) half of the Moldy Peaches, Adam Green, has a new record out, and a tour to go with it. Sixes and Sevens was released two weeks back, and in support of it, Green will be visiting th Rickshaw Stop on May 20th. The show is all ages, however, so consider yourself duly warned about the potential presence of Juno-loving high school kids. Tickets are on-sale now.mp3: Adam Green - Morning After Midnight

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Stereogum has announced the third in their album covers ("Stereogum Presents") series. After the first disc asked artists to cover Radiohead's OK Computer, and the second REM's Automatic For The People, this one will shift gears to another 90's classic, Bjork's Post. Titled Enjoyed, the tribute launches next Monday, and features tracks by Liars, Evangelicals, and Atlas Sound, among others. The disc also includes Dirty Projectors covering our favorite track from the original disc, "Hyperballad". This version has been offered up by Stereogum as a preview of the project, and is available now for download right here. Enjoy.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

While there hasn't been any official announcement, if you go by the rumor mill, it's looking like The Kooks will be playing The Fillmore on May 22nd. We'll let you know as confirmation develops, but if it's true, it should be a great show. We've been digging on their new record Konk (particulalry "One Last time"), and we're psyched to see the band in one of our favorite San Francisco venues.

Over at the always reputable Daytrotter site, they've just posted a set of sessions with The Walkmen, where the band played four Leonard Cohen covers. Between this and Pussy Cats, these guys are looking to be a straight up cover band! That being said, the covers are great, and it definitely demonstrates the versatility of this fine, fine band. We're looking forward to their next one. In the meantime, enjoy.mp3: The Walkmen - The Old Revolution (Leonard Cohen Cover, Daytrotter Sessions)

Monday, March 24, 2008

Well, we have to admit this one slipped by us, but even at this late date we imagine there's a pretty good chance of you getting in. The Steve Miller Band will be playing three nights (starting tonight) at the Fillmore. Given that the band, in recent years, has been relegated to the amphitheater circuit, we imagine this will be a great chance to see one of San Francisco's guitar legends on his home turf. Sure you've heard the greatest hits disc a million times, and sure the tickets are outrageous ($49!), but it still sounds pretty damn fun...

In one of those surprising conundrums that always make festivals so damn frustrating, the Outside Lands Festival lineup has just gotten even better. Nevermind that Tom Petty and Radiohead were already on board, the organizers have now confirmed Beck, Wilco, Broken Social Scene, and many, many others. Looks like against our better judgement, we're going to be spending a few days in Golden Gate Park this summer. Tickets go on sale this Sunday @ 10 AM.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

There are plusses and minuses to seeing an all ages show: the crowd tends to be far more enthusiastic and unpretentious, but you're also met with a far greater level of highly pitched teenage girls screaming. Similarly, there are plusses and minuses to seeing a band who only has one record: you know exactly what songs you're going to get, and that's all she wrote. Last night at the Rickshaw Stop, Vampire Weekend managed to transcend the negatives and deliver a high powered dose of pop to an all ages crowd.

The band (as they were in December at the Independent) was unrelentingly upbeat and on top of their game: the set traversed their entire album nearly flawlessly, and gave the crowd exactly what they were looking for. The most notable difference from the December show was that the crowds are now highly familiar with the material. The album's release has turned the band from an internet sensation into a real-world one. (See: the cover of this month's Spin)

Perhaps the most endearing moment of the night was when the band invited two girls who had handmade their own "Oh" glasses on stage to dance during A-Punk. It was almost so perfect you'd think it was a press stunt, but it wasn't - and that's exactly what made it so great.

As the set came to a quick close (less than an hour), we realized that this is probably the last time we'll see Vampire Weekend playing a venue of this size. The rate at which they're blowing up, and the fantastic energy of their set leaves little doubt that their return to San Francisco will be at The Fillmore or The Warfield, if not somewhere even bigger. We're glad we got to see it in action.

We also managed to grab some really decent video, including the one non-album song that the band played. Check it out:

Portland based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs will be playing a solo set on May 5th at Bottom Of The Hill. We here at H.A.D. first discovered Veirs on the recommendation of her 2005 disc Year of Meteors from a friend. Since then, we've continuously enjoyed her incredibly solid lyrical abilities and acutely syncopated guitar work. Sadly, we missed her opening solo for Britt Daniel a few years back (we admittedly weren't yet in the know), but we won't make that mistake a second time.

This week is the Spring Equinox and Easter, so we figured we'd post this. With rabbits, ducks, and lots of other animals, it's about as close as this blog is going to come to organized religion. Enjoy.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Last night, drenched in artificial smoke and black light, dressed in capes and scarves, Evangelicals delivered an awesome dose of their own brand of psychedelic rock. The band's set, which ran about 45 minutes, focused mainly on their latest record The Evening Descends. It was a set of rock and roll that was, frankly, too big for the Hemlock's tiny stage. Had the band had four times as much space, they would have been equally at home. However, they made do with the confines, and left a full room completely happy with a show that really delivered.

Perhaps the biggest question we had going into this show was whether the band would really be able to deliver in two areas: lead singer Josh Jones' vocals, and the complex synth arrangements that lie all over the album. We should have had no concern: Jones' vocals were dead on, and the arrangements were even better than on record. Moreover, we were really glad to see that all the instrumentation was all live, rather than prerecorded (we're looking at you, Of Montreal).

Because the band is from Oklahoma, there's a Flaming Lips reference in almost every interview or review. However, let there be no doubt: Evangelicals are firmly doing their own thing. The band members are all highly musically adept, and the songs gain even more majesty and enthusiasm (if you can believe it) live. The band is making their way up the Northwest now, so catch them if you can.

Bonus: In an effort to further convey the atmosphere, we gave video a try. See what you think.

These days, it's seldom that you see a band that is completely willing to wear their heart on their sleeve and completely obviously immerse themselves in the joy of playing music. It's even more unusual that you see a band that can do this and also deliver a technically robust set of rock and roll songs. Last night at the Rickshaw Stop, Travis Morrison Hellfighters did exactly that.

The band played a set largely dominated by their album All Y'All - and it fared quite well. The material not only held up live, but was even further bolstered by Morrison and the band's energy. At first we were a tad skeptical of Morrison's overt enthusiasm, but it soon became clear that it wasn't any kind of "act", and from there on out it really drove the rest of the set for us.

We were pleasantly surprised at the band's ability to meet the high demands of the arrangements on the record. Having 3 multi-instrumentalists on board certainly helps, and the band's rotating cast of characters really helped to keep the sound fresh.

Morrison also played three new songs: "Henrietta", "Cruisin'", and "Moneytown". We managed to snag a vid of "Henrietta", so here you go (Yes, we were standing right in front of the guitar amp. So, sound quality leaves something to be desired.):

It's no secret that we love this record, and if you haven't figured it out, we really enjoyed this show. It was full of enthusiasm and vigor that is so often missing from touring bands. We really hope Morrison and Co. get the momentum building and keep this tour going past the current dates. If they're coming to your town, we really encourage you to get out and see it. (We bought a t-shirt, and we haven't done that in like, 2 years)

This is a pro-shot video of Spoon covering Paul Simon's "Peace Like A River", off of his first solo record. Apparently it's at some sort of radio event, and was the first time they played it live. As an added bonus, we've hooked you up with the original as well.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Prior to the "big" show at Coachella, The Verve will be performing their first show back in the US in ten years on April 23rd at The Warfield. Tickets are already on-sale (read: sold out, sorry about that), but no doubt are available through your local craigslist junkie...

Jason Collett played a great show at the Independent on Wednesday night, and H.A.D. was there to catch the set. There was a good mix of material from Here's To Being Here and Idols Of Exile, as well as a raucous cover of Lou Reed's "Gimme Some Good Times" from 1978's Street Hassle.

Collett also debuted two new songs which he apparently had written in the last couple of days, entitled "Strawberry Wine" and "Vanderlou Vanderlou". They both had a nice folky vibe, and were performed solo acoustic. We managed to grab vids of "Hangoverdays" as well of the two new ones for you to enjoy. Check it out below:

Jason Collett - Hangover Days (Sorry about the starting angle. We fixed it when we realized):

Wow. We have to say we really didn't see this one coming. Tom Petty has apparently decided to reform his first band Mudcrutch, release an album, and go on tour. The only place we've heard any Mudcrutch material at all is on the box set Playback, but from what we can tell it's kinda like The Heartbreakers, with a bit more of a country feel. Regardless, Petty is a pretty masterful showman, so we imagine it'll be a good gig.

The news that's relevant to you? Well, Mudcrutch is playing in Santa Cruz on April 14th, and at the Fillmore on April 16th and 17th. The Fillmore shows go on-sale this Sunday at 10 AM, and there's a pre-sale for Santa Cruz this morning at 10 AM. Click here for the pre-sale. The password is "oink".

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

We promised you we'd keep an eye on it, so here you go: tomorrow morning at 10 AM, the Raconteurs gig @ Bimbos on April 23rd will be having a presale. The password is "consolers" and you can get in on the action here. Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

It's been five years (and some serious illness) since Spiritualized's last album, and we're glad to have them back. We always enjoy these super-rough BBC1 rips of new singles. Even though the sound is crackling and compressed, it really gives that "brand new" feel to the tunes.

This new one ("Soul On Fire") seems to lend itself a bit more to the anthemic atmospherics of Ladies and Gentlemen... than it does to the rock of the more recent Amazing Grace. That's fine by us - we can't wait to hear the rest of the disc. Thanks to Deaf Indie Elephants for the rip!

Spoon's in the midst of releasing the next single off of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and it's accompanied by some brand new paper-cut video goodness. Merge has put up a promotional site for the vid, which you can view here. Additionally, we here at H.A.D. did a little snooping for you, and procured a direct link to the vid so that you can save it to your hard drive as well. Fun! Link below...look out though, it's 50 MB!

Monday, March 17, 2008

We were initially considering doing this feature as a top 10 list, but then we figured it had more value as a weekly regular thing. The basic concept is this: we've realized over the years that (for whatever reason) most of our favorite artists are incredibly prolific, and moreover have an exemplary B-Side and unreleased catalog. (For those wondering what we're talking about: B-Side) What this feature hopes to do is to pull some of those B-Sides and unreleased tracks out of the back of the closet, and maybe get some new ears in on the listen.

This week in The Art Of The B-Side, we're featuring one of our favorite bands: Wilco. Over the years, Wilco has released (or leaked) a vast amount of non-album material. The demos for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot are a treasure trove of unreleased material, and the demos of Summerteeth offer pretty definitive insight into the process of making the record. Moreover, the band has consistently contributed non-album tracks all over the place: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Compilations. The list is long enough that there's a 3 CD fan compiled B-Side collection, and even that only makes it through Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Most recently, the Wilco B-Side machine has gone into overdrive, with a drove of official non-album releases: EP's with their last 3 albums, bonus tracks and single B-sides, and most notably an entire album of studio outtakes packaged with The Wilco Book.

These tracks are a few of our favorite Wilco B-Sides, but by no mean inclusive of the wide range of available material. We encourage you to delve further. (By the way, we know the picture's old. We just like it.)

The Raconteurs have just made a new record, and given one week notice on it's release! The disc will be available on March 25th in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, and is entitled Consolers Of The Lonely. Considering we were a tad underwhelmed by the Stripes' last offering, and subsequent show cancellation, we're glad to see that Jack White's keeping things happening with his other major project. We're not entirely sure what to expect, but we're hoping this disc goes more in the direction of "Intimate Secretary" (which is to say, full of analog synth goodness) than it does towards "Yellow Sun". But that's just us.

Apparently, in addition to getting this new record out with any media interference, the band has also subsequently booked a tour. No mention on the Bimbo's website yet, but the band claims to be playing a show there on April 23rd....we'll keep our eyes open. In the meantime, March 25th is just a week away!

On April 26th Mark Kozelek, creative mastermind behind both Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters, will be playing a set at the Palace Of Fine Arts. Kozelek is apparently touring on the release of a new hardcover book of his lyrics. We have to say: this should be an amazing opportunity to see a great songwriter in an acoustically awesome venue. Tickets are already on sale (sorry about that late notice), but decent seats are still available.

Side note: we just had a mind blowing revelation. As we contemplated that the first place we hear Kozelek was in the Cameron Crowe film Vanilla Sky (we know, late to the party), we then also realized that Kozelek played Fever Dog's bass player in another Crowe film, Almost Famous. Craaaaazy.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

It's getting to be that time of year in San Francisco where a huge number of bands book shows either just before, or just after, their appearance at Coachella. If you're to believe the hype, one of those bands that is "must see" is Brooklyn's MGMT. The band will be stopping by Slim's on April 24th, along with opener Howlin Rain.

To our ears, MGMT has a pretty strong Robert Plant vibe on the vocals, but manages to go into other, less Zeppelin-y, territories with the rest of their sound. There is a fair amount of sonic experimentation, and a degree of psychedelica that reminds us more than a little bit of the Flaming Lips. To mention the band in the same sentence as Evangelicals would not be a misstep either.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Rilo Kiley will continue their touring for Under The Blacklight with a return to The SF Design Center Concourse on April 17th. While it's not our favorite venue, we figured some folks might like to know about the pre-sale that starts tomorrow (Thursday) morning @ 10 AM. The password is "under", and you can get there by clicking here.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Thanks to the folks over at Stereogum, we grabbed these clips of Vampire Weekend on SNL this past weekend. As is typical of the show, the SNL venue left the band not quite firing on all cylinders, but it was still a bit more energetic than your average musical guest. That, and there was a live string quartet, which was a cool touch. Suffice it to say, we're still pretty psyched for the two upcoming shows.

We debated the merit of mentioning this, given its borderline fan-obessive content. But, being that it's written by the man himself, and that it gives sizeable insight into some of the issues that have driven his songwriting, we figured it's worth checking out. Click here to read Jeff Tweedy's insight to a lifetime of migrains over at the New York Times opinion blog. Suffice it to say, we're glad we aren't suffering from the same.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Despite the fact that the project has been going for a few years now, this New York Times article was the first we had heard of Mick Jones and Tony James' new project Carbon/Silicon. Upon first listen, it seems reminiscent of Big Audio Dynamite or late Clash, sticking to non-traditional song structures, and fewer distorted guitars.

We do have to say: it's nice to hear Mick Jones' voice down on tape again, and the songs do have a certain political bent that's absent from most of today's new releases. Moreover, the band is decidedly anti-record industry, and many free mp3s are available on their site. Previously, full albums had been available, but have since been removed.

The band now has a new album, The Last Post, and is making their way across the US in support of the disc. If you're heading to Coachella, you can see them there, but if you're staying here in the city, they'll be at the Independent on March 20th. If these old punks still have it in them, we're thinking it'll be worth the trip. Tickets are on sale now.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Ever since the masterpiece of Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, we here at H.A.D. have been hooked on the consistently rewarding efforts of Portland's Dandy Warhols. Unfortunately, their last album Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars landed with not so much of a bang as a whimper. The record has some great moments, but it really didn't seem to make waves critically or commercially.

Well, it seems that the Dandies were just as aware of this as everyone else, as they've happily departed Capital Records and decided to start their own label Beat The World. Frankly, we're glad to see the Dandies step into the indie rock world - who needs the majors anyway? We're looking forward to seeing what this migration brings to the band. Thanks to Glorious Noise for the tip.

We here at H.A.D. have been digging on the French Kicks ever since we saw them open for The Walkmen way back in 2003. They offer up a decidely cool, loungey take on the typical indie-rock vibe, and their live show is killer. We really enjoyed last year's Noise Pop show, and all three tracks on their most recent (eMusic exclusive) EP Roller are highly, highly, recommended.

So, suffice it to say, we're more than psyched that when perusing Stereogum this morning we came across news of a new Kicks album, accompanied by a Spring tour. The new record Swimming is out on May 20th (April 1st on iTunes - maybe that means eMusic too?), and the band will be at the Independent on May 18th. In the meantime, here's some new tunage:

Thursday, March 6, 2008

At this point these vids are all over the web, but given their SF filming location, and the beloved GAMH, we feel as though we can take a little bit of leeway in what the internerd might consider "old news". Blogotheque managed to get SM + Jicks to indulge in Hopscotch Willie, We Can't Help You, Wicked Wanda, and even an REM cover medley. Indeed. Enjoy the fun:

We wouldn't normally cover such things, given that we tend to feel like Dave Matthews Band jumped the shark oh, in the neighborhood of 10 years ago. That being said, we couldn't really let this one slip by: we love the Greek Theater, and we love outdoor summer shows.

A general admission show at the Greek is a far cry from playing the Shoreline or Pac Bell. If it does in fact turn out to be GA (and not that Tom Petty style $150 seated tickets madness), we're thinking we might just have to indulge our inner high school persona and check it out.

Dave Matthews Band plays the Greek Theatre September 5th, 6th, and 7th - tickets are on sale March 29th.

It's a bit of an odd experience when you go to a show expecting to be blown away by one band, and you walk away feeling like the other band on the bill was really the winner of the show. It's not a bad thing, but it can be disconcerting to feel like your instincts were a bit off base. Such was the case last night when Be Your Own Pet opened for The Raveonettes at the Independent.

Be Your Own Pet (who, apparently, are all teenagers and also Thurston Moore's personal faves) took to the stage with the room surprisingly packed for an opening band. They proceeded to demonstrate why the room was so packed, as they delivered half an hour of blazing, unrepentant rock and roll.

Lead singer Jemina Pearl was an unstoppable ball of energy, flying across the stage and bouncing off of her bandmates at random. For their own part the rest of the band delivered equally enthusiastically, never missing a beat, and responding to Pearl's antics in kind.

Still, it can't be denied that Pearl is the focal point of the show, as it should be with all great lead singers. Her aggressive stances and unrelenting delivery served as the backbone of the band's garagey punk rock mayhem.

And, yes, that's fresh blood on the bass' pickguard.

By stark contrast, when The Raveonettes finally took the stage around 9:30, they delivered a set that seemed to really place them firmly in the category of "one trick pony". Let us be clear: what they do, they do extremely well. The band (accompanied by various samples and the addition of a drummer) delivered a stoic, icy delivery of their "classic" sound. Classic 60's drum beats overlayed with noisy guitars and icy vocals are exactly what we were looking for when we bought our tickets.

The problem arose when the band seemed to deliver the same thing for an hour straight: there was no fluctuation in energy, no change in pace, no discernable indication of any kind that something was (or was not) happening on stage. Moreover, the band's trademark noisy guitars seem ripe for the inducement of live chaos. Instead they seemed restrained and in the background throughout most of the set, only coming forward on "Aly, Walk With Me".

In the end, The Raveonettes delivered a solid, well rehearsed set. The problem we had with it was more that it was too rehearsed. There were no surprise moments, none of the energy we love and expect in a live music experience. I guess in the end, we'll have to stick with their records.